On January 23, 2012, the DePuy ASR Litigation Status Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida was held before Judge David Katz. Judge Katz is the United States Federal District Judge assigned by the Multi District Litigation panel of judges to hear all pretrial matters in any DePuy ASR cases filed in federal court. Judge Katz met with the Executive Committee of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for about an hour privately before he met with all attorneys in open court.

With so many lawyers out there, how should you go about finding a good one? How can you tell a strong lawyer from a weak one? You need solid legal advice, and you want the right attorney. Do not, we repeat, DO NOT just open the phone book, close your eyes, and point to a name.

After a Journal of American Medical Association publication of a meta-analysis suggested that long-term use of the diabetes drug Avandia was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, the maker of Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline, declared there was little difference in the safety profile of their drug, Avandia and the “other” drug for Type 2 diabetes, Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Actos. Further studies however have not completely backed up that declaration.

As more information comes to light regarding the potential safety issues of the transvaginal mesh implants, women across the nation have more questions regarding the device. The FDA has yet to make a final determination on how mesh devices will be approved in the future and whether the current manufacturers will be subject to more rigorous scrutiny regarding the mesh device.

DePuy hip replacement recall by DePuy Orthopedics, Inc.’s metal-on-metal hip replacement system sent shockwaves through the international medical community. Given the fact that these devices have gained great popularity in recent years among orthopedic surgeons and patients alike, reports that the ASR XL Acetabular System and ASR Hip Resurfacing System were prone to early failure were met with great fear and unease.